Belfast South (UK Parliament constituency)

UK constituency infobox alt
Name = Belfast South


Type = Borough
Entity = Northern Ireland
DivisionType = Districts
Division = Belfast, Castlereagh
Year = 1885, 1922
MP = Alasdair McDonnell
Party = Social Democratic and Labour
EP = Northern Ireland

Belfast South is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons.

Boundaries

The seat was created in 1922 when, as part of the establishment of the devolved Stormont Parliament for Northern Ireland, the number of MPs in the Westminster Parliament was drastically cut. The seat is centred on the south section of Belfast and also contains part of the district of Castlereagh.

Proposed boundary changes

At the time of writing the Boundary Commission has proposed alterations for the boundaries of constituencies in Northern Ireland. Belfast South currently has one of the smallest electorates of any constituency in Northern Ireland. Some have suggested abolishing the seat and cutting Belfast down to three constituencies, but others have argued that the geography and natural ties in Belfast make this unwieldy. The Boundary Commission proposals eschew this suggestion and instead propose to expand Belfast South further into Castlereagh, taking in areas currently contained in both Strangford and Belfast East.

The four wards which the Boundary Commission have proposed to add to the constituency from Castlereagh have almost exactly the same composition in terms of community background as the existing constituency.

At the boundary commission local enquiry which took place in September 2005 the proposal to add the wards of Cregagh and Wynchurch to South Belfast proved hugely controversial, being strongly opposed by the DUP but supported by the Ulster Unionists. It was also one of the issues which generated the most negative comments in the written submissions with a petition representing half of Cregagh's residents opposing its move for example.

Alliance put forth two proposals: one for a three seat Belfast which would abolish this seat and a four seat solution in which Hillfoot and Moneyreagh would join South Belfast instead of Cregagh/Wynchurch. They were supported on the latter issue by the DUP. SDLP&Sinn Féin were generally supportive of the commissions proposals, although Sinn Féin in their written representation suggested moving Ballymaccarrett ward from East to South Belfast.

Following the local enquiries, the Boundary Commission proposed retaining the Cregagh ward in East Belfast while transferring instead the Hillfoot ward. These proposals have been submitted as the final recommendations and are likely to be approved by Parliament before the end of 2007.

History

Belfast South, centred on the River Lagan contains some of Belfast's most exclusive residential districts as well as Queen's University Belfast, and the overall tenor of the constituency is middle-class - young, trendy and cosmopolitan towards the city centre, with Northern Ireland's biggest concentrations of both students and ethnic minorities, and settled and prosperous further out. Despite this, significant pockets of inner-city deprivation and a number of isolated suburban estates are in the constituency.

There has been particularly rapid demographic change in Belfast South over the past 20 years, change which seems to be continuing rapidly.

Belfast South has a unionist majority though the nationalist vote is considerable. There have also been strong votes for other parties such as the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, the Conservatives and the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition. The seat has also seen a steady series of candidates backed by groups who aspire to support the British Labour Party despite its prior ban on membership and organisation in Northern Ireland, though their results have been minimal. Since its inception the main focus of attention has been on contests between unionist candidates.

In the February 1974 general election the seat was won by Robert Bradford of the Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party on a united anti-Sunningdale Agreement slate with the Ulster Unionist Party and the Democratic Unionist Party. He defeated Rafton Pounder, the sitting Unionist MP who defended his seat as a Pro-Assembly Unionist. Bradford held the seat for the next seven years, though in (1977) he and the rump of Vanguard reunited with the Ulster Unionists. At the end of 1981 Bradford was assassinated by the IRA in a Belfast community centre while hosting a political surgery.

The subsequent by-election garnered much interest as it was expected that the Democratic Unionist Party would take the seat, building on their steady rise which had seen them gain both Belfast North and Belfast East at the previous general election. However in the event the DUP came third, behind the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland and the UUP's candidate, Martin Smyth won the seat, holding it until 2005. The by-election was extremely significant at the time in that it was the first at which the DUP tide ebbed.

In the 2001 general election less than 50% of voters voted for unionist parties for the first time in its history, but this has been attributed to a collapse in the vote for the small Progressive Unionist Party as well as to Smyth's fierce opposition to the Good Friday Agreement which is estimated to have sent many pro-Agreement unionist voters to vote tactically for the Social Democratic and Labour Party.

In January 2005 Smyth announced that he would be retiring at the forthcoming general election, raising speculation both as to whom the Ulster Unionists would field in succession to him and what effect a different candidate will have upon their share of the vote. The UUP selected Assembly member Michael McGimpsey, albeit with a highly controversial and bitter selection. The aftermath saw McGimpsey repudiated by many prominent local and national Ulster Unionists, including both Smyth and former UUP leader James Molyneaux. The DUP selected Jimmy Spratt and offered an electoral pact to the UUP that would give each party a free run at one out of South Belfast and Fermanagh and South Tyrone. This offer was rejected by the UUP.

In the event, the DUP and UUP both fielded candidates which split the vote, while the nationalist vote mainly went for the SDLP over Sinn Féin, with the result that the SDLP took the seat despite a majority of votes cast for unionist candidates.

Members of Parliament

The Member of Parliament since the 2005 general election is Alasdair McDonnell of the Social Democratic and Labour Party. He succeeded the Rev Martin Smyth of the Ulster Unionist Party, who had sat for the seat from a by-election in 1982 until retiring at the 2005 election.

¹Even though Progressive Unionist candidates opposed UUP candidates in elections, Stewart continued to take the Conservative and Unionist whip at Westminster.

Election results

Elections in the 2000s

Election box begin
title=General Election 2005: Belfast SouthElection box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
candidate = Alasdair McDonnell
votes = 10,339
percentage = 32.3
change = +1.7Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Unionist Party
candidate = Jimmy Spratt
votes = 9,104
percentage = 28.4
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Michael McGimpsey
votes = 7,263
percentage = 22.7
change = -22.1Election box candidate with party link
party = Sinn Féin
candidate = Alex Maskey
votes = 2,882
percentage = 9.0
change = +1.4Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
candidate = Geraldine Rice
votes = 2,012
percentage = 6.3
change = +0.9Election box candidate with party link
party = Vote For Yourself Rainbow Dream Ticket
candidate = Lynda Gilby
votes = 235
percentage = 0.7
change = +0.4Election box candidate with party link
party = Workers Party (Ireland)
candidate = Paddy Lynn
votes = 193
percentage = 0.6
change = +0.1Election box majority
votes = 1,235
percentage = 3.9
change =Election box turnout
votes = 32,028
percentage = 60.8
change = -3.1Election box gain with party link
winner = Social Democratic and Labour Party
loser = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Election box begin
title=General Election 2001: Belfast SouthElection box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Martin Smyth
votes = 17,008
percentage = 44.8
change = +8.8Election box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
candidate = Alasdair McDonnell
votes = 11,609
percentage = 30.6
change = +6.3Election box candidate with party link
party = Northern Ireland Women's Coalition
candidate = Monica McWilliams
votes = 2,968
percentage = 7.8
change = 0.0Election box candidate with party link
party = Sinn Féin
candidate = Alex Maskey
votes = 2,894
percentage = 7.6
change = +2.5Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
candidate = Geraldine Rice
votes = 2,042
percentage = 5.4
change = -7.6Election box candidate with party link
party = Progressive Unionist Party
candidate = Dawn Purvis
votes = 1,112
percentage = 2.9
change = -11.5Election box candidate with party link
party = Workers Party (Ireland)
candidate = Paddy Lynn
votes = 204
percentage = 0.5
change = -0.2Election box candidate with party link
party = Vote For Yourself Rainbow Dream Ticket
candidate = Rainbow George Weiss
votes = 115
percentage = 0.3
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 5,399
percentage = 14.2
change = Election box turnout
votes = 37,952
percentage = 63.9
change = +1.6Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Elections in the 1990s

Election box begin
title=General Election 1997: Belfast SouthElection box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Martin Smyth
votes = 14,201
percentage = 36.0
change = -18.7Election box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
candidate = Alasdair McDonnell
votes = 9,601
percentage = 24.3
change = +10.1Election box candidate with party link
party = Progressive Unionist Party
candidate = David Ervine
votes = 5,687
percentage = 14.4
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
candidate = Steve McBride
votes = 5,112
percentage = 12.9
change = -2.8Election box candidate with party link
party = Sinn Féin
candidate = Sean Hayes
votes = 2,019
percentage = 5.1
change = +2.6Election box candidate with party link
party = Northern Ireland Women's Coalition
candidate = Annie Campbell
votes = 1,204
percentage = 3.0
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservatives in Northern Ireland
candidate = Myrtle Boal
votes = 962
percentage = 2.4
change = -9.3Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent Labour
candidate = Niall Cusack
votes = 292
percentage = 0.7
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Workers Party (Ireland)
candidate = Paddy Lynn
votes = 286
percentage = 0.7
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Natural Law Party
candidate = James Anderson
votes = 120
percentage = 0.3
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 4,600
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 62.2
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

1997 Changes are compared to the 1992 notional results shown below [http://www.bbc.co.uk/election97/constituencies/44.htm] .

Election box begin
title=Notional 1992 UK General Election Result : Belfast South Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
votes = 23,258
candidate = "N/A"
percentage = 52.7
change = N/aElection box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
votes = 6,921
candidate = "N/A"
percentage = 15.7
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
votes = 6,266
candidate = "N/A"
percentage = 14.2
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservatives in Northern Ireland
votes = 5,154
candidate = "N/A"
percentage = 11.7
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Others
votes = 1,437
candidate = "N/A"
percentage = 3.3
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Sinn Féin
votes = 1,116
candidate = "N/A"
percentage = 2.5
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 16,337
percentage = 37.0
change = "N/A"

Election box begin
title=General Election 1992: Belfast SouthElection box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Martin Smyth
votes = 16,336
percentage = 48.6
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
candidate = Alasdair McDonnell
votes = 6,266
percentage = 18.7
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
candidate = John Montgomery
votes = 5,054
percentage = 15.0
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservatives in Northern Ireland
candidate = Andrew Fee
votes = 3,356
percentage = 10.0
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Sinn Féin
candidate = Sean Hayes
votes = 1,123
percentage = 3.3
change = Election box candidate
party = Labour and Trade Union
candidate = Peter Hadden
votes = 875
percentage = 2.6
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Workers Party (Ireland)
candidate = Paddy Lynn
votes = 362
percentage = 1.1
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Natural Law Party
candidate = Teresa Mullen
votes = 212
percentage = 0.6
change = Election box majority
votes = 10,070
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 64.5
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Elections in the 1980s

Election box begin
title=General Election 1987: Belfast SouthElection box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Martin Smyth
votes = 18,917
percentage = 57.8
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
candidate = David Cook
votes = 6,963
percentage = 21.3
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
candidate = Alasdair McDonnell
votes = 4,268
percentage = 13.1
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Workers Party (Ireland)
candidate = Gerry Carr
votes = 1,528
percentage = 4.7
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Sinn Féin
candidate = Sean McKnight
votes = 1,030
percentage = 3.2
change = Election box majority
votes = 11,954
percentage = 36.6
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 60.3
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Election box begin
title=By-election January 23 1986: Belfast SouthElection box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Martin Smyth
votes = 21,771
percentage = 71.3
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
candidate = David Cook
votes = 7,635
percentage = 25.0
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Workers Party (Ireland)
candidate = Gerry Carr
votes = 1,109
percentage = 3.6
change = Election box majority
votes = 14,136
percentage = 46.3
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 56.9
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

"Note:" The by-election was caused by the decision of all Unionist MPs to resign their seats and seek re-election on a platform of opposition to the Anglo-Irish Agreement.

Election box begin
title=General Election 1983: Belfast SouthElection box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Martin Smyth
votes = 18,669
percentage = 50.0
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
candidate = David Cook
votes = 8,945
percentage = 23.9
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Unionist Party
candidate = Raymond McCrea
votes = 4,565
percentage = 12.2
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
candidate = Alasdair McDonnell
votes = 3,216
percentage = 8.6
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Sinn Féin
candidate = Sean McKnight
votes = 1,107
percentage = 3.0
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Workers Party (Ireland)
candidate = Gerry Carr
votes = 856
percentage = 2.3
change = Election box majority
votes = 9,724
percentage = 26.0
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 69.6
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Election box begin
title=By-election March 4 1982: Belfast SouthElection box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Martin Smyth
votes = 17,123
percentage = 39.3
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
candidate = David Cook
votes = 11,726
percentage = 26.9
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Unionist Party
candidate = William McCrea
votes = 9,818
percentage = 22.6
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
candidate = Alasdair McDonnell
votes = 3,839
percentage = 8.8
change = Election box candidate
party = Ulster Loyalist Democratic Party
candidate = John McMichael
votes = 576
percentage = 1.3
change = Election box candidate
party = United Labour Party
candidate = Brian Caul
votes = 303
percentage = 0.7
change = Election box candidate
party = One Human Family
candidate = Jagat Narain
votes = 137
percentage = 0.3
change = Election box candidate
party = Peace State
candidate = Simon Hall-Raleigh
votes = 12
percentage = 0.03
change = Election box majority
votes = 5,397
percentage = 12.4
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 66.2
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Elections in the 1970s

Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Robert Bradford
votes = 28,875
percentage = 61.7
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
candidate = Basil Glass
votes = 11,745
percentage = 25.1
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
candidate = Alasdair McDonnell
votes = 3,694
percentage = 7.9
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Unionist Party of Northern Ireland
candidate = Victor Brennan
votes = 1,784
percentage = 3.8
change = "N/A"Election box candidate
party = Labour Integrationist
candidate = Jeff Dudgeon
votes = 692
percentage = 1.5
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 17,130
percentage = 36.6
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 67.9
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party
candidate = Robert Bradford
votes = 30,116
percentage = 59.2
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
candidate = John Glass
votes = 11,715
percentage = 23.0
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent Unionist
candidate = Stanley McMaster
votes = 4,982
percentage = 9.8
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
candidate = John Carraher
votes = 2,390
percentage = 4.7
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
candidate = Erskine Holmes
votes = 1,643
percentage = 3.2
change = Election box majority
votes = 18,401
percentage = 36.2
change = Election box turnout
votes = 50,846
percentage = 67.7
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party
candidate = Robert Bradford
votes = 22,083
percentage = 42.6
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Pro-Assembly Unionist
candidate = Rafton Pounder
votes = 18,085
percentage = 34.9
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
candidate = David Cook
votes = 5,118
percentage = 9.9
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
candidate = John Carraher
votes = 4,149
percentage = 8.0
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
candidate = Erskine Holmes
votes = 2,455
percentage = 4.7
change = Election box majority
votes = 3,998
percentage = 7.7
change = Election box turnout
votes = 51,890
percentage = 69.6
change = Election box gain with party link
winner = Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party
loser = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Rafton Pounder
votes = 27,523
percentage = 70.4
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
candidate = John Coulthard
votes = 11,567
percentage = 29.6
change = Election box majority
votes = 15,956
percentage = 40.8
change = Election box turnout
votes = 39,090
percentage = 68.4
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Elections in the 1960s

Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Rafton Pounder
votes = 23,329
percentage = 65.4
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
candidate = Erskine Holmes
votes = 12,364
percentage = 34.6
change = Election box majority
votes = 10,965
percentage = 30.7
change = Election box turnout
votes = 35,693
percentage = 63.3
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Rafton Pounder
votes = 27,422
percentage = 69.8
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
candidate = John Barkley
votes = 8,792
percentage = 22.4
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Liberal Party
candidate = Judith Rosenfield
votes = 1,941
percentage = 4.9
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent Republican (Ireland)
candidate = Robert McKnight
votes = 1,159
percentage = 3.0
change = Election box majority
votes = 18,630
percentage = 47.4
change = Election box turnout
votes = 39,314
percentage = 68.3
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Rafton Pounder
votes = 17,989
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
candidate = Norman Searight
votes = 7,209
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Liberal Party
candidate = Albert Hamilton
votes = 2,774
percentage =
change = Election box majority
votes = 10,780
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage =
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Elections in the 1950s

Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = David Campbell
votes = 30,164
percentage = 69.9
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
candidate = Norman Searight
votes = 9,318
percentage = 21.6
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Liberal Party
candidate = Sheelagh Murnaghan
votes = 3,253
percentage = 7.5
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Sinn Féin
candidate = Brendan O'Reilly
votes = 434
percentage = 1.0
change = Election box majority
votes = 20,846
percentage = 48.3
change = Election box turnout
votes = 43,169
percentage = 72.1
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = David Campbell
votes = 33,392
percentage = 78.4
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
candidate = Edward Brown
votes = 7,508
percentage = 17.6
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Sinn Féin
candidate = Patrick Kearney
votes = 1,679
percentage = 3.9
change = Election box majority
votes = 25,884
percentage = 60.8
change = Election box turnout
votes = 42,579
percentage = 65.7
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = David Campbell
votes = 23,067
percentage = 75.1
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
candidate = Samuel Napier
votes = 7,655
percentage = 24.9
change = Election box majority
votes = 15,412
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 46.4
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Hugh Gage
votes = 37,046
percentage = 75.8
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
candidate = Robert McBrinn
votes = 11,815
percentage = 24.2
change = Election box majority
votes = 25,231
percentage = 51.6
change = Election box turnout
votes = 48,861
percentage = 73.8
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Hugh Gage
votes = 34,620
percentage = 75.2
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
candidate = James McKernan
votes = 11,428
percentage = 24.8
change = Election box majority
votes = 23,192
percentage = 50.4
change = Election box turnout
votes = 46,048
percentage = 69.3
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Elections in the 1940s

Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Hugh Gage
votes = 24,282
percentage = 52.2
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Commonwealth Labour Party
candidate = Harry Midgley
votes = 14,096
percentage = 30.3
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
candidate = James Morrow
votes = 8,166
percentage = 17.5
change = Election box majority
votes = 10,186
percentage = 21.9
change = Election box turnout
votes = 46,544
percentage = 66.4
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Elections in the 1930s

:In the 1931 and 1935 UK general elections, William Stewart was elected unopposed.

Elections in the 1920s

Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = William Stewart
votes = 24,019
percentage = 62.9
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent Unionist
candidate = Philip James Woods
votes = 14,148
percentage = 37.1
change = Election box majority
votes = 9,871
percentage = 25.9
change = Election box turnout
votes = 38,167
percentage = 64.7
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

:At the 1922, 1923 and 1924 UK general elections, Thomas Moles was elected unopposed.

Elections in the 1910s

:At the Belfast South by-election, 1917, William Arthur Lindsay was returned unopposed.

Election box candidate with party link
party = Irish Unionist Party
candidate = James Chambers
votes = 5,585
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent Unionist
candidate = Thomas Henry Sloan
votes = 2,722
percentage =
change = Election box majority
votes = 2,863
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes = 8,307
percentage = 78.2
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Irish Unionist Party
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Irish Unionist Party
candidate = James Chambers
votes = 5,772
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent Unionist
candidate = Thomas Henry Sloan
votes = 3,553
percentage =
change = Election box majority
votes = 2,219
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes = 9,325
percentage = 87.8
change = Election box gain with party link
winner = Irish Unionist Party
loser = Independent Unionist
swing =

Elections in the 1900s

Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent Unionist
candidate = Thomas Henry Sloan
votes = 4,450
percentage =
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Irish Unionist Party
candidate = Arthur Hill
votes = 3,634
percentage =
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 816
percentage =
change = "N/A"Election box turnout
votes = 8,084
percentage = 84.8
change = "N/A"Election box gain with party link
winner = Independent Unionist
loser = Conservative Party (UK)
swing = "N/A"

Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent Unionist
candidate = Thomas Henry Sloan
votes = 3,795
percentage =
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = C. W. Dunbar Buller
votes = 2,969
percentage =
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 826
percentage =
change = "N/A"Election box turnout
votes = 6,764
percentage = 60.1
change = "N/A"Election box gain with party link
winner = Independent Unionist
loser = Conservative Party (UK)
swing =

:At the United Kingdom general election, 1900, William Johnston was elected unopposed.

Elections in the 1890s

:At the 1892 and 1895 UK general elections, William Johnston was elected unopposed.

Elections in the 1880s

Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = William Johnston
votes = 4,442
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Irish Parliamentary Party
candidate = A. McErlean
votes = 657
percentage =
change = Election box majority
votes = 3,785
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage =
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = William Johnston
votes = 3,610
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Irish Parliamentary Party
candidate = J. W. Workman
votes = 990
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = R. Seeds
votes = 871
percentage =
change = Election box majority
votes = 2,620
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage =
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
swing =

ources

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2005/html/44.stm BBC News, Election 2005]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote2001/results_constituencies/constituencies/489.stm BBC News, Vote 2001]
* [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/hoc/constituency/history/0,9338,-1259,00.html Guardian Unlimited Politics]
* [http://www.angeltowns.com/town/peerage/rcommons2.htm Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page]
*http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/ (Election results from 1951 to the present)
*F. W. S. Craig, "British Parliamentary Election Results 1918 - 1949"
*F. W. S. Craig, "British Parliamentary Election Results 1950 - 1970"
*"The Liberal Year Book For 1917", Liberal Publication Department
*"The Constitutional Year Book For 1912", Conservative Central Office
*"The Constitutional Year Book For 1894", Conservative Central Office

References

ee also

* List of Parliamentary constituencies in Northern Ireland